To save this word, you'll need to log in.
nihil ob·stat | \ -ˈäbzˌtat, -bˌst- \
Definition of nihil obstat
1 : the certification by an official censor of the Roman Catholic Church that a book has been examined and found to contain nothing opposed to faith and morals
2 : authoritative or official approval
the surest road to fame was … through the imprimatur and nihil obstat of a foreign critic— P. H. Odegard
Keep scrolling for more
Comments on nihil obstat
What made you want to look up nihil obstat? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
May 2020 Words of the Day Quiz
- Which is a synonym of exiguous?
Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?
TAKE THE QUIZ
Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridgedWords at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games
Share nihil obstat